


Unknown Pleasures

by gundamoocow, hexgoldyloins



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Sex, BDSM, Bondage, Enemies to Lovers, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Flogging, Hand Feeding, Hand Jobs, M/M, Masturbation, Nipple Clamps, Nipple Play, Safe Sane and Consensual, Scratching, Sensation Play, Sex Club, Spanking, Switching, Wax Play
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:08:07
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 16,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26677195
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gundamoocow/pseuds/gundamoocow, https://archiveofourown.org/users/hexgoldyloins/pseuds/hexgoldyloins
Summary: Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux are rival employees at First Order Engineering, a multi-disciplinary engineering company headed by the elusive CEO Snoke. For years, Kylo and Hux have been at each other's throats, vying for power and advancement within the aerospace division. An opportunity to have an audience with Snoke presents itself, but it involves forming an unlikely alliance and going undercover...to a BDSM sex club.
Relationships: Armitage Hux/Kylo Ren
Comments: 37
Kudos: 140
Collections: Kylux Big Bang 2020





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is our collab for the 2020 kylux mini bang, with gundamoocow writing and hexgoldyloins doing the art.
> 
> Please check out the [main art piece](https://img3.pillowfort.social/posts/0c9f41705f34_KBB_2020_final.png) and [moodboard](https://img3.pillowfort.social/posts/2f4e77b7c085_KBB_Unknown_Pleasures_moodboard_final_small.png)!  
>    
> Warnings for probable lack of realism of working in the aerospace industry.
> 
> Note: There is no Snoke sexing in this fic! Most of you will be relieved, though some may be disappointed.

Armitage Hux stormed out of his office, clutching the printed test report so hard that the paper was beginning to tear. He slammed his fist against the elevator call button, startling an unsuspecting intern walking past. That reckless Kylo Ren had almost cost the company _millions_ , and Snoke was going to hear about it.

The elevator door chimed and opened. Hux bashed the button to the top floor, then repeatedly pushed “door close” until the door finally deigned to shut. As the lift took off, rising up to the fortieth floor, Hux took a few deep breaths. He needed to sound calm and rational to Snoke, not like some unhinged maniac. The elevator chimed again when it reached its destination, and Hux confidently strode out.

Snoke’s all-glass penthouse office suite was something to behold. Hux squinted from the bright midday light as it briefly marred his vision. The glass wall dividing out Snoke’s personal office from the rest was dimmed, as usual. However, before going to Snoke, one had to get past his no-nonsense executive assistant, Phasma, first.

“I need to see Snoke,” said Hux.

“You don’t have an appointment,” Phasma said, not bothering to even look at him. She just kept on typing, with her long chrome fingernails clacking against the keys.

“This is important. When will he be free?”

Phasma snorted. “I can put in a request for an audience. A slot might become available in a few weeks.”

“A few _weeks?!_ ” Hux balked. “This is urgent! Ren nearly destroyed--”

“Oh. Ren again, is it? Perhaps there will be an opening in July.”

Hux gritted his teeth. “Come, now, Phasma. You and I are friends, are we not?”

“Only when you want something.” She stopped typing and finally looked up. “Look, I’m under specific orders not to bring interpersonal issues to him. He’s an old man and he doesn’t need the additional stress.”

“Your bonus hinges on this, doesn’t it,” Hux said.

“Obviously.”

Hux sighed and shook his head, then about-turned and headed back to the elevator, dragging his crushed hopes with him. He looked at the test report again, which refreshed his rage.

He would drive to the test site and give Ren a piece of his mind.

With that decided, he bypassed his floor and went straight to the basement level and to his new series _Finalizer_. He patted its shiny hood as he unplugged the charger from the charging station. “At least you’ll always be there when I need you,” he said to it affectionately, then opened the door and got inside.

“Directions to Tarkin Airfield,” he said. “Fastest route.” The satnav mapped out the coastal road, which was longer in distance, but apparently free of heavy traffic.

The _Finalizer_ was a delightful piece of engineering. Though it was not the work of the aerospace division, Hux had contributed enough good suggestions to the electric vehicle team that they gifted him the prototype. Land vehicles allowed for far more elegant designs than jets; one could prioritise comfort and aesthetics when there was no danger of falling out of the sky.

Forty-five minutes after setting off, Hux pulled into the airfield car park and parked in the first empty space he found, not bothering to look for a charging station. With the test report in hand, he marched straight to the hangars.

“Ren!” he shouted, even before he reached Hangar B. “Ren!”

The _Silencer_ with its now scorched engines sat in the middle of the hangar, surrounded by tools, but not a soul in sight.

“Where in bloody hell is everyone? Does nobody work here anymore?” he yelled, hearing his voice echo.

“S-sir!” a meek voice called out from the cockpit. It was Mitaka, probably running diagnostics on the flight computer while he finally had some peace. “They’re in the canteen. It’s their lunch break.”

Hux left for the main building without another word. He swiped his access card to get in via the side entrance and pushed the door open. “Is Ren here?” he asked an unsuspecting technician, who nodded and pointed towards the cafeteria.

“Ren!” Hux shouted as soon as he swung the door open.

Ren was there, sitting on a chair back-to-front as was his habit. Hux was surprised that Ren managed to put his trousers on correctly every morning. How such a man managed to qualify as an engineer was beyond him. At Ren’s table were Rose, Rey, and Finn.

“What is the meaning of this?!” Hux yelled, slamming the test report on the table in front of him.

“Not this again,” muttered Rey. Hux ignored her.

“Meaning of what?” Ren asked, batting his eyes like some spoiled princess.

“The _Silencer_ was not cleared to fly! Now one engine is down to twenty percent functionality and the other is completely unsalvageable!”

Ren shrugged. “Engines would’ve failed in the tunnel. I felt them strain in the flight. Next iteration should be good. I’ve already started the mods.”

“We could have lost the whole plane through your recklessness!”

“But we didn’t,” Ren replied, offering Hux an icy grin.

“Test flight clearance goes through me. I will not risk the entire project, not to mention people’s lives, on the whims of a lunatic! You are forbidden from flying until further notice.”

“Says who?”

Hux’s eyes widened. He stepped right into Ren’s space, glaring at him down his nose. “Says me,” Hux said. “I’m the lead on this project and you are not.”

“I don’t really see it that way,” Ren said, glaring back at Hux. “I did you favour. We learned more in half an hour of flying than we did in months of sims.”

Hux pinched the bridge of his nose. “We have test pilots. Their names are Poe Dameron and Paige Tico. _You_ shouldn’t even be getting into the cockpit. I don’t want to hear of it again.”

“You can’t tell me what to do.”

That was it. Enough was enough. “As soon as I can speak to Snoke, it will be the end of your career here.”

“Hmph. You think you’re some brilliant engineer, but you don’t know planes like I do. Without me, this whole division would tank.”

“It was doing just fine before you came here, thank you very much! Snoke will see that, I assure you.”

“It’s too bad he’s never around,” Kylo said snidely.

“He likes hanging out at Club Venus,” Rose cut in. “Maybe you can go find him there.”

Beside her, Rey snorted like this was some kind of joke -- some young person humour, in all likelihood. Snoke was far too old for the club scene.

“Are you having me on?” Hux asked.

“No, not at all,” Rose said.

“Venus?” Finn asked. “Isn’t that-- Ow!”

“It’s absolutely legit,” Rey piped in. “A friend told me she saw him.”

Hux’s tension eased up a little. Perhaps this was plausible after all.

“All right, then,” Hux said. “I’ll leave you to your lunch.” He straightened out his shirt and headed for his airfield office.

*

After a light dinner at home, Hux went straight into his walk-in closet and thumbed through his suits while Millicent rubbed around his ankles. What did people wear to go clubbing these days? His work shirts were all pale pastels. The flashiest shirt in his wardrobe was a shimmering deep blue. He selected that one and a pair of dress trousers. Perhaps jeans were also acceptable, but it was best to border on formal, especially if he were to actually run into Snoke.

Once dressed to his satisfaction, Hux ran a comb through his hair, lint-rolled a few stray cat hairs off of his nicely-pressed suit, and then headed out the door. He hailed a cab, and then he was on his way. It was only nine pm -- early for clubbing, but it was only a Tuesday. Hux figured he would sit at the bar and sip on a drink or two, then approach Snoke if he showed up.

The taxi pulled up to the club, and Hux got out. A black marble facade with dark red lettering spelling out “Club Venus” indicated that he was at the right place. A bouncer stood outside. Hux was about to walk in, when none other than Kylo Ren stepped into his view.

“What are you doing here?” Hux demanded.

“Same thing as you, apparently,” Ren snapped back.

In a huff, Hux pushed past him and made for the entrance, but Ren shouldered him out of the way. The nerve of that man! Hux darted in front of him, determined to get into the club first, but ended up in a gridlock with both jamming themselves in the doorway at the same time. Hux pushed through with a grunt, scraping his shoulder on the door frame in the process.

He’d find himself a quiet seat somewhere -- as far away from Ren as possible -- and wait. As Hux scanned the room for a spare seat, he noticed something very odd: a man wearing enough leather to be in a _Mad Max_ film leading a woman dressed only in lingerie on a leash. Hux blinked. A sharp sound to his left diverted his attention. Unmistakably, the sound came from a paddle striking a man’s arse. The man was tied to a wooden frame and was bare below the waist. The person doing the paddling was dressed like an old-fashioned jockey, knee-high boots and all.

This was a sex club. The CEO of First Order Engineering spent his leisure time at a sex club. Hux needed to process this, and he couldn’t do it here. As inconspicuously as he could, Hux made his way out the door, taking a deep breath once he reached fresh air. Just after him, a frazzled-looking Ren appeared.

“Hey,” the bouncer said, tapping Hux on the shoulder. “No gawkers. You come to play, or you don’t come in at all.”

“We’re together,” Ren said, putting a heavy arm over Hux’s shoulder. “It’s our, uh, first time. Got kinda nervous.”

The bouncer eyed them suspiciously as Ren walked Hux away from the club. When they were out of view of the bouncer, Hux pushed Ren’s hand off.

“That’s enough,” said Hux. He wanted to say more, to grumble about the unnecessary contact, but Ren had just salvaged the situation.

They walked together in silence for a few moments. Hux tried to formulate a plan, but for once in his life, nothing was coming to mind. Wait outside for Snoke to leave? Hux wasn’t even sure he wanted to know what Snoke got up to in there, but this was his first lead in ages and he couldn’t bear to waste it, especially if it would leave Ren with the upper hand.

“We’ll have to pretend to be together to get in,” Ren said, interrupting Hux’s thoughts.

This gave Hux pause. Going in undercover was viable. “All right,” said Hux. “But once we’re inside, it’s every man for himself.”

“Naturally.”


	2. Chapter 2

“There,” Kylo said, pointing at the screen over Mitaka’s shoulder. “That’s when the left engine blew.”

“Right,” said Mitaka. “I’ll run the rest of the tests to figure out why it failed so we--”

“She started shaking like all hell here,” Kylo pointed at the trace, “and making a godawful noise here. My guess is that something warped ‘cause it got too hot.”

This was why Kylo got in the plane. Thermal effects were too hard to simulate. First Order Engineering didn’t have an unlimited budget for test engines and spare plane parts. Each test had to count, and now they had data on the life support systems, flying on one engine, and an emergency landing.

“Right,” Mitaka said. “I’ll get the team to look into that.”

As Kylo walked away, he caught a glimpse of Hux’s red hair in the hangar. He was leaning over a table while Rose showed him bits of the _Silencer_ that had scattered along the runway. With his hands on his hips, he looked as prissy as ever. The team didn’t need some asshole to micromanage them. They needed freedom to innovate.

Hux glanced up in Kylo’s direction, then quickly looked away. Kylo didn’t particularly want to talk to him, but they had to make arrangements.

“Got a minute?” Kylo asked.

“Excuse me,” Hux said to Rose, then followed Kylo as he walked out of earshot of everyone else.

“Tonight,” Kylo said. “Meet at the club at nine?”

“Fine,” Hux replied, avoiding eye contact.

“Great. Then it’s a date,” Kylo teased.

Hux wrinkled his nose and gave Kylo a disgusted glare. “Fuck off.”

*

Now that Kylo had a better idea of what was coming, he dressed accordingly. Leather seemed ubiquitous at these kinds of places, so he dug out his old motorcycle pants and boots. The pants were a little baggy when he still had his bike, but now they were a tight fit. On top, he wore a close-fit black tank top and his leather jacket.

When he arrived at their meeting place, Hux was already there, wearing almost his usual clothes, except the top button of his shirt was undone. What a way to show that you’re planning to let loose at a kinky sex dungeon.

“You’re late,” Hux said.

Kylo looked at his watch. It read 9:02.

Before Kylo could think of a come-back to Hux’s bogus assertion, Hux said, “Let’s go in.”

The same bouncer was standing outside as the night before. Kylo swallowed and walked as casually as he could while the bouncer’s eyes narrowed. He didn’t say anything, however, and Kylo and Hux freely walked inside. They made a beeline for the bar. Kylo glanced around, checking for any signs of Snoke.

“Gin and tonic,” Hux said to the bartender while Kylo was still looking around. Like last night, there weren’t many people here. Maybe it was more lively on a weekend.

Hux elbowed him. “Do you want anything?”

“Uh,” Kylo looked for a menu, but saw none. He didn’t normally drink. In the absence of a better idea, he said, “Coke Zero.”

With their drinks in hand, they found a table in a small alcove that overlooked most of the club’s floor area. The place was gaudy, full of imitation Victorian furniture in red and black. The walls were covered in a dark red patterned wallpaper. A chandelier hung from the ceiling, probably made of plastic.

Tired of analysing the decor, Kylo stared at his drink, mixing the ice with his straw before taking a sip.

“Hi, there! You guys must be new.”

Kylo turned his head to see a blonde woman with dark smokey eye makeup and a shiny burgundy and gold dress.

“I’m Mistress Bliss, and I run this fine establishment.”

Hux coughed, but said nothing.

“First time, right?”

“How did you guess?” Kylo said, once again doing all the work to keep up this little charade.

“Trade secrets,” she said, winking. “So who’s the dom and who’s the sub? Or do you like to mix it up?”

Hux coughed again, almost choking on this drink. Coming out here was worth it to see Hux lose his composure alone.

Mistress Bliss gasped. “Wow, you really _are_ new!” She put her hands on her hips. “Right. In that case, I’ll start with the basics. The biggest rule is safety first. Don’t do anything stupid. Second, we have a universal traffic light safeword system. Green means all is well, yellow means slow down and check in, and red means stop. Any violations of that will result in a permanent ban. Got it?”

Kylo nodded, not that this was really relevant to them.

“Great.” She smiled, showing a row of perfect teeth. “The next thing is common sense, but I have to say it. Don’t approach people who are playing unless you’re invited in. There are regulars here that know each other pretty well, so don’t assume you can be just as friendly with them. Last up, tell a staff member when you’re done using any of the play spaces and they’ll come and disinfect it.”

Fine by Kylo. The only person he wanted to talk to was Snoke, if he showed up.

“Right, so how about a tour?”

“That won’t be necessary,” Hux stammered. He was going pink.

“Oh, don’t be shy. C’mon.” Mistress Bliss cocked her head in the direction of what looked like padded gym benches.

Snoke wasn’t here, so there wasn’t exactly anything better to do than use Hux's embarrassment for his personal entertainment. “Yeah, Hux. C’mon. Let’s do the tour.”

Hux looked mortified as he got to his feet.

Mistress Bliss led them to what she called a play area. "Most people like to start off with a little light impact play," she said. "We've got a bunch of stuff for that here. There's a couple of paddles. The leather one is good for beginners, but if you're a tough guy, you can try the wooden ones." She pointed to a rectangular wooden paddle with the word _naughty_ etched into it. "Then there's the floggers. People find suede ones quite sensual. The leather ones pack a sting."

This was turning out to be very elaborate. Kylo had no idea that there were so many different ways to erotically spank your partner.

"Over here, we've got a few riding crops and a couple of canes, but that's definitely more advanced." She paused for a beat, then crossed her arms. "So. Anything you like here? If you wanna use some bondage gear, it's--"

"That is quite enough, thank you," Hux blurted out, his face as red as a tomato.

"Yeah, I'm sure we'll find our way around," added Kylo, proudly keeping his cool.

"Great! I'll leave you guys to it!"

They watched Mistress Bliss walk off in silence.

"You think she's onto us?" Kylo asked.

"I don't know," Hux said, looking pained.

There was no telling when Snoke would show up. If they ended up coming here regularly, they'd need to keep up appearances.

"We should do this," Kylo said, cocking his head towards the spanking tools. "At least a little, or they'll kick us out."

Hux furrowed his brow, giving Kylo his most icy glare. "If you think I'm going to bend over for you, you can forget it."

"Look at you," Kylo said. "You couldn't handle it. I'd snap you in half like a twig."

"You--" Hux was incensed, absolutely fuming. Instead of going off on a tirade, Hux glanced at the tools and grabbed the wooden paddle that said _naughty_ on it. "All right then, since you think you're so tough."

After years of martial arts, not to mention the motorbike accident, Kylo's pain tolerance was sky high. A little paddling was nothing. "Whatever," he said, shrugging.

Hux let out a haughty "Hmph," then glanced around before making a beeline for a low black leather sofa pressed against the wall. "Let's go, then," he said, tapping the paddle against his palm.

Kylo almost laughed out loud. He would've preferred one of the padded benches that were clearly intended for this purpose, but if Hux wanted him to lie over his lap and wrinkle his precious perfectly pressed pants, then Kylo was all for it. He followed Hux to the sofa, took his jacket off and tossed it over the armrest, then flopped across Hux's lap face-down.

"Oof. You must weigh a ton."

"No shit," Kylo replied, rolling his eyes. "Some of us actually work out."

Hux said nothing, and Kylo was starting to feel pretty stupid just lying across his lap.

"Are you gonna do this or what?"

Immediately, Hux swatted him. It felt like nothing. A mosquito bite was worse. Hux continued his barrage of almost imperceptible taps, as if Kylo was going to shatter if Hux struck any harder.

“Hux.”

Hux stopped. “What?”

“I’m not made of glass.”

With his head resting on his folded arms, Kylo couldn’t see Hux’s face, but he could imagine Hux flattening his lips at the attack to his competence. A moment later, Kylo felt Hux’s weight shift as he swung his arm up. He heard the crack of wood against leather before he felt sting radiate from his ass. _Damn_. Hux had a good arm after all.

Hux’s weight shifted again, and a second later, the paddle hit Kylo’s ass again. Before the sting of the swat had a chance to dissipate, Hux struck him again, and then again. The strikes built up on top of each other, and Kylo couldn’t help flinching when he felt another coming.

“Hold still,” Hux said, pressing his hand against Kyo’s lower back.

The hand was warm, and its presence was weirdly relaxing. Kylo felt the tension in his body release, his weight sinking into Hux’s lap and the sofa.

The next wallop came as a surprise and was hard enough to force an involuntary grunt from Kylo’s throat. He bit his lip, swearing to himself that he wouldn’t make any other sounds, but failed miserably when Hux struck the back of his thigh. He groaned, and then swore under his breath. He tried to tense and brace himself, but the next swat stung hard, and another groan involuntarily escaped his throat.

“You asked for this,” Hux said, pausing mid-swing. “Heavens know you deserve it.”

Kylo had no words, nothing to counter Hux’s claim as Hux swatted his ass and thighs over and over. His whole rear end was on fire. Between trying to stifle embarrassing whimpers and attempting to keep still, Kylo succeeded at neither. It was easier to give in and let the sensations dominate as Hux smacked moan after moan out of him.

At some point, Hux stopped. Kylo’s ass tingled with heat and his leather pants felt tight. He was panting, unable to control his breath.

“Are you-- Are you all right?” Hux asked. His hand was still on Kylo’s back, thumb stroking gently.

Was Kylo all right? Remnants of pain were fading, but his head felt foggy and he didn’t know how to answer the question. All he wanted to do was lie where he was.

“Ren?” Hux asked again.

Kylo didn’t want to be asked anything. He wanted to stay put and doze off.

“Kylo?”

Kylo quickly pushed himself up and sat up, putting space between himself and Hux. He was fine. Of course he was fine. This was nothing. “Yeah,” he said, looking down at the floor.

“Are you sure you’re--”

“I’m fine,” Kylo snapped. He needed to get out of there. “Gonna take a leak.”

Kylo was on his feet before Hux could respond. He speed-walked towards the men’s room, taking a wrong turn before finally finding his way. The door was painted in black glitter paint and had a placard stuck to it featuring a stick figure man wearing a collar and leash. Kylo swung the door open so hard that it slammed against the wall. Luckily, there was no one else there. Kylo went straight for the sink and splashed cold water on his face. He gripped the edges of the basin for support as he drew a few deep breaths, trying to compose himself.

His emotions were in his throat and his pants felt too tight around the front. He looked up, staring at himself in the mirror. An unhinged man stared back at him. Water was dripping down his face. He could just about see the faded scar on his cheek.

_Fuck_. What was wrong with him?

_Nothing_. Nothing was wrong. This bullshit with Hux was nothing.

Kylo wiped his face off with a towel and left the bathroom. Hux was back at the table they had originally sat at, sipping his previously abandoned gin and tonic.

Hux looked up at him cautiously. “Is everything all right?”

Kylo waved him off. “Fine.” He picked up his glass of Coke and downed the whole thing. All the ice cubes had melted, giving it a watery taste, but Kylo didn’t care. “Gotta go,” he said after slamming the glass down on the table. He grabbed his jacket from the seat next to him and then sped out the door, not looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

Hux blinked. Had he done something wrong? All he did was exactly what Ren had asked him to do, and he stopped when Ren seemed to be in some sort of respiratory distress. Surely Ren would have reverted to that traffic light system if there was some sort of problem. Hux pondered this as he took another sip of the gin and tonic. It was possible that Ren was unable to let go of his tough-guy persona, and therefore chose not to signal when he’d had enough.

Well, that wasn’t Hux’s problem. The rules had been laid out clearly, and if Ren refused to follow them, it was his own fault.

Hux finished his drink faster than he would have preferred, mostly because he did not want another awkward interaction with Mistress Bliss. What kind of a name was that, anyway? Clearly, it was fake, but if Hux were in her shoes, he wouldn’t dream of choosing such a tacky professional alias.

Thankfully, no one bothered him, and he was able to leave the club in peace. The taxi ride home was uneventful. Hux stared blankly out the window, trying to clear his mind from the events of the last hour. He didn’t need Ren’s heavy breathing and squirming in his lap to haunt him all the way home. Yet, as soon as Hux was through the door and his keys were in the bowl in his entrance hallway, visceral memories of Ren grunting after every strike of the paddle hit Hux so hard that he went straight to his liquor cabinet and poured himself a whiskey.

Ren’s leather-clad ass was firm, and the cracking sound of the paddle hitting it had been crisp and satisfying. Beating some discipline into his errant colleague had been rather enjoyable. Perhaps their working relationship would be improved if that sort of thing was permitted in the workplace.

Hux snorted as he pictured yanking Kylo over his lap next time he took an aircraft out without permission. Perhaps a little bare-handed spanking would do Ren a world of good.

*

Hux awoke the next morning feeling surprisingly refreshed. Behind the curtains, the sun outside was shining bright. Beneath the covers, Hux was hard. Normally, he would just get up, but today-- today he would indulge. His alarm wasn’t due to go off for another twenty minutes, so he reached into his boxers and began to idly stroke himself, not thinking about anything in particular.

After a minute or so, he noticed some stiffness in his right arm, and then memories of the night before rushed in all at once. Ren lying across his knees in those tight leather trousers that really accentuated his buttocks. Ren moaning every time the paddle hit his ass, like he was getting off on it. _Had_ he been getting off on it? Hux thought not, surely. Ren hated Hux, and the feeling was mutual, but perhaps the physical sensations of being spanked were not unpleasant. After all, people did that sort of thing for fun.

Hux came to the through of spanking Ren bare-handed on his bare skin while Ren moaned far more loudly and sexually than he had done in real life.

When he came down from his orgasm, Hux stretched his arms out over his head, then threw the covers off and swung his legs out of bed. Whatever that nonsense was, it was out of his system.

“Don’t look at me like that,” Hux said to Millie when she poked her head through the bedroom door, meowing at him with suspicion.

His good mood lasted all day, including during a two hour team meeting during which Ren was uncharacteristically cooperative. With plans for the next two weeks settled, the team got to work.

“I went over all the technical readouts from the engines this morning,” Ren said to Hux after everyone else dispersed. “I’ve got some ideas for the mark two version that’ll solve the heating problem.”

Hux looked at his watch. “I have some time now, if you want to discuss them.”

They sat in front of Ren’s computer while Ren described his rather unorthodox solution. At first glance, it was sound. They would have to run some simulations before moving ahead, but that was par of course.

“So,” Ren said. “I was thinking about the club.”

Hux froze. He’d deliberately kept it out of his thoughts. If Ren was about to start an awkward conversation, Hux was not in the mood to have his day ruined.

“It was pretty dead when we were there the last two times.”

“Right,” Hux said, relieved that Ren only intended to talk logistics. “The weekend, then?”

“I have a family thing on Friday,” Ren said. “Saturday’s fine, though.”

Friday was tomorrow, and Hux didn’t think he could tolerate too much of this stuff at once. “Saturday it is, then.”

That gave him two days to figure out what the hell they were going to do for the next session, because Hux certainly wasn’t going to get caught out like that again.

*

Instead of reading over technical documentation and replying to emails, Hux spent his evening researching BDSM and all that it entailed. Instead of just sex play with rope and floggers, there was a whole system of protocols.

Hux took a sip of tea as he scrolled down a page describing various configurations, from dom and sub to master and slave. Within that spectrum, there was a category for more casual liaisons, in which parties came together for a play scene and had no sexual or romantic relationship outside of that. He and Ren fell under that description. _Play partners_ were what they were called.

Satisfied that he succeeded in categorising himself and Ren, Hux moved on to more practical research: platonic activities that he and Ren could do with minimal effort. Spanking and flogging were out, especially with the level of body contact that had transpired between them last time. Bondage was an option, but then what? Hux chuckled when the idea of tying Ren up somewhere and leaving him to his fate crossed his mind.

After searching through an exhaustive list of activities, Hux found something that could be suitable: sensation play using hot wax. That seemed simple enough. The only prop required was a candle, and no body contact was necessary at all. Perfect.

*

They arranged to meet at seven on Saturday. It was earlier than the other nights, but Hux had no idea when peak time was at the club. As before, he arrived at their meeting place ten minutes early and tried not to get impatient while he waited for Ren to turn up.

“I have a plan,” Hux said as soon as Ren arrived.

“Oh?”

Hux opened his small leather satchel bag and pulled out a few thin candles. Some were red and some were black, in theme with the club’s decor.

Ren grinned, exposing his teeth. “A romantic candlelight dinner? Hux, you shouldn’t have.”

“No!” Hux protested. “They’re for dripping hot wax. In there,” he waved in the direction of the club.

“Oh. Right.”

“Shall we?” Hux asked drily.

Without another word, they walked up to the club. The bouncer nodded at them. No suspicious glare this time, which meant that their little act was working.

Hux’s hypothesis proved correct: there were a lot more people in the club on a Saturday night than during the week. It wasn’t really crowded, but the music was louder and the space was a lot more busy. Hux scanned the room for Snoke. He was tall and easy to spot in a crowd, but there was no sign of him anywhere. Hux headed straight for the bar, keeping a lookout just in case Snoke was tucked away in one of the club’s many alcoves.

“Coke Zero?” Hux asked, turning to Ren.

“Sure.”

Hux ordered the Coke for Ren and a gin and tonic for himself. The table they had sat at last time was occupied by a group of women wearing corsets and laughing over something on one of their phones. A few booths that were Hux’s second choice were all in use as well. One of them was taken by an older couple gazing romantically into each other’s eyes. At the next one, there were two men who looked like they were in a business meeting, if not for the woman leashed under the table between them. In the third booth, there were three young men who couldn’t have been much more than eighteen years old, each wearing shiny hotpants and knee-high socks. Well, each to their own.

Ren nudged him. “There’s a free couch over there.”

As they walked across the club to the couch, Hux couldn’t help glancing at the play areas. There was a topless woman tied to an X-shaped wooden cross while another woman gently flogged her. At one of the benches, a man wearing plain black boxer briefs was being intricately tied up with long lengths of rope. He seemed awfully content. Hux quickly looked away when he realised that his gaze was lingering.

Ren dragged a small low table over to the couch so they could put their drinks down. Hux sat down and sipped his gin and tonic while keeping his eyes on the floor in front of him. He hoped Mistress Bliss wouldn’t come to them again. Perhaps they needed to preempt her and get down to business before she could interfere. At the same time, they had to protract their time here, in case Snoke showed up. Then again, the last thing Hux wanted was for Snoke to walk in on him and Ren in the middle of one of these little _scenes_.

“Tell me about the candles,” Ren said.

“Well,” Hux replied, taken slightly by surprise. “They’re made of soy, apparently. It lowers the melting temperature so the wax doesn’t burn the skin. I bought them at a party store. They aren’t really anything special.”

“No, I get that,” Ren said. “What’s the point?”

“I don’t know!” Hux snapped. “It’s supposed to be for something called ‘sensation play’. You pour hot wax on your skin and it’s meant to feel nice or something.” Hux rolled his eyes. “I don’t know any more about this than you do!”

“Okay.”

Hux had nothing else to say, so he focussed on his drink. He didn’t want to leave it unattended when there were so many people around, so it was best to finish it before they moved on to the next phase of the evening. Ren didn’t seem up for conversing, which was fine by Hux.

There was a lot going on in the club around them, so Hux filled the time by cautiously observing what other people were doing, while trying not to obviously ogle. It seemed strange that people would do intimate things so publicly. Perhaps it was exhibitionism that brought them here, or maybe just freely available equipment. Still, Hux would have preferred a private room for such things, perhaps a purpose-built hotel.

“All right,” Ren said. “Let’s do this.”

Hux still had a third of his glass to go, but what the hell. He finished it off, then stood up. “There’s a padded table sort of thing over there.” Hux pointed to an alcove. There were other people in the area, too, but there was not much they could do about that. The alcove itself was at least empty.

As they walked over, Hux felt like the whole club was staring at them. He tried to put it out of his mind. Most of them were here to mind their own business, and were probably used to seeing all kinds of things. A little hot wax play between him and Ren would certainly be of little interest.

The padded table was more like a medical examination bed: the padding was hard and the table was narrow, but sized to roughly the width of a person. Only up close did Hux notice that there were leather cuffs dangling from a few places, presumably for wrists and ankles.

“Well?” Hux asked, crossing his arms. “Are you ready?”

“Sure,” said Ren.

“Good. Then take your shirt off and lie down on this thing.”

Ren stiffened and his lip twitched.

“Come on,” Hux encouraged, getting impatient. “Chop chop.”

“No.”

“No?” Hux asked, raising an eyebrow. This was more tame than the paddling, by Hux’s reckoning.

“No,” Ren said again.

“Okay, then,” Hux said slowly. “If you’re so squeamish about a little hot wax, you can do it to me. Fine?”

“Yeah.”

How bad could it possibly be? He’d been to spas where beauticians had given his skin more brutal treatment.

Hux unlatched his leather satchel. “Here are the candles and a lighter,” he said, placing them on a table near the padded bed. He turned away from Ren to unbutton his shirt, then took it off. There was nowhere to put it to avoid it wrinkling, so he carefully draped it over the back of a chair.

He cleared his throat. “I suppose I should lie down on this thing.”

When Ren offered nothing except a blank stare, Hux climbed on the bed and laid back. This was a lot like a massage bed, and if Hux closed his eyes, he could imagine being at a spa, waiting for a relaxing facial.

Hux’s eyes shot open when Ren started fumbling with something near his right wrist. “What are you doing?” he asked, lifting his head so he could see.

Ren looked up at him, leather cuff in hand. “Putting this on you,” he said, then took a gentle hold of Hux’s wrist.

Suddenly, Hux’s heart was in his throat. He dropped his head back down and tried to steady himself while Ren buckled the cuff around his wrist. It was dizzying. If Hux wasn’t already lying down, he would have been forced to grab something for support. Ren moved around the bed to Hux’s feet and pulled up his trouser leg a little to fix a cuff to it. Now two of four of Hux’s limbs were immobilised. He wanted to say something, but any objection he might have had died quietly on his tongue, leaving Hux to lie there and simply let it happen until both his hands and feet were fully restrained.

Despite the thumping music in the club, Hux felt hyper aware of everything Ren was doing. Right now, he was rustling the plastic candle packaging. After a minute, Hux heard the lighter go.

“I’m just gonna wait for the wax to melt a little,” Ren said. His voice was oddly calm and soothing. 

Hux felt his body untense, sinking into the bed. He couldn’t bear to open his eyes and face whatever was happening right now.

“Okay, get ready,” Ren said, not specifying _how_ , but the answer came soon enough in the form of a drop of hot wax in the middle of Hux’s sternum. “You good?”

All Hux could do was nod once. More drops came, all around the same spot in the middle of his chest. They were like drops of hot rain, cooling quickly after hitting his skin. Over time, they migrated lower towards Hux’s belly and then back up to his chest. Out of the blue, one fell on his left nipple. Ren was-- he was---

Hux couldn’t form the words, even in his own head. A few more drops landed around his nipple and then homed in directly on it again before moving on to the right nipple, sending a gentle pulse of pleasure straight to Hux’s cock. He willed it to stay soft, or at least hidden for the duration of this ordeal.

The music changed from loud and thumpy to something more lo-fi, and Hux melted onto the bed with it. It was okay to let this happen and to enjoy it, to feel every hot drop land on his body.

“Hux,” Ren said after a while.

New drops of hot wax stopped falling, and Hux blinked his eyes open.

“The candle’s pretty much out. Should I light another one or do you wanna stop?”

What kind of a question was that? Hux looked down at his torso. It was covered in drops of deep red. Ren shouldn’t have asked. The answer was obviously yes, but now that Ren posed it so bluntly, Hux had to save face.

“No,” he said. “This is enough. Untie me.”

Ren blew out what was left of the candle in his hand. Hux closed his eyes again and patiently waited for Ren to remove the cuffs. Once he was free, Hux slowly propped himself up on his elbows and then pushed himself all the way up to a seated position. The now hard wax tugged at his skin and the fine hairs on his chest. He started picking at it, peeling the wax off bit by bit.

“Want any help with that?” Ren asked.

“No,” Hux replied, tensing.

“Okay. I’ll, uh, go get us something else to drink.”

Hux let out a sigh when Ren left. He wanted to lie down and curl up for a nap, but this was not the place for it. Instead, he forced himself to peel off all the wax, wincing from time to time when the wax pulled out a hair.

By the time Ren returned, all the wax was off and Hux had his shirt on again.

“Sorry,” Ren said. “Got busy at the bar.”

Hux turned around. The club was a lot more full than earlier. “Any sign of Snoke?”

“Think I’d tell you if there was?” Ren asked, grinning.

“Go to hell.”

“Are you guys done with that?” a woman in black lipstick and hair slicked back into a bun asked. She wore a tight black shirt with a rhinestone Club Venus logo emblazoned on it. An employee.

“Yes,” Hux answered.

Without another word, she sprayed down the bed and wiped it, then did the same with the cuffs. Hux was glad to see that a place like this kept up with good hygiene practices.

“Our couch was taken,” Ren said, taking a seat at the small table near the bed.

Hux followed suit and sat down opposite him. 

“So was that, like, okay?”

Except for the stupid urge to curl up against something or someone, Hux was fine. The last thing Hux wanted to do was talk to Ren about it. Now he understood why Ren had taken off in such a hurry last time. “Yes.”

Hux looked at his watch. They had been here for almost two hours. More people were pouring into the club, and Hux didn’t think he could take much more of this. He was in no condition to speak to Snoke if he suddenly showed up.

“I’m tired,” Hux said, realising that was the perfect reason to excuse himself.

“Yeah, me too.”

“Okay, then,” Hux said, satisfied that Ren wouldn’t remain behind and gain an unfair advantage. “I’ll finish this and call a cab.”

When Hux got home, his house felt terribly empty, even with Millie meowing her usual greeting. Normally, he relished the solitude, but tonight, something was off. More likely than not, he just needed to unwind after whatever happened at the club, so he drew a bath and threw in a bath bomb. After kicking off his clothing and leaving it on the bathroom floor, Hux slipped into the bath and slouched down until the water was level with his chin. When he closed his eyes, all he could think of was lying down on that bondage bed with Ren dripping wax on him. Somehow, the thought wasn’t bad.


	4. Chapter 4

There was nothing especially attractive about Hux. Physically, there wasn't anything really wrong with him except for his incredibly boring sense of dress. He was devoid of any kind of personality, unless being an irritating micromanager counted as a personality. And yet, Kylo couldn't stop thinking about Hux's eyelashes fluttering and the way his breath hitched every time a drop of hot, dark red wax hit his pale skin.

Kylo shook his head. He didn't need these thoughts plaguing him. There were more important things to do, like cross-check engine schematics before the new design went to manufacturing. 

He sighed, rubbing his eyes as his concentration started to fade. A drink or a snack would fix that. He got up and headed for the canteen, casually glancing through the door of Hux's office. Hux wasn't there, but his bag was, so he had to be somewhere in the building and not at the airfield.

Kylo pressed the elevator call button and waited with his hands in his pockets, rocking back and forth from heels to toes. The elevator sounded a ping to announce its arrival. When the door opened, Hux himself stepped out. After a brief glance towards Kylo, Hux's face returned to its usual stony expression and he marched past Kylo, avoiding any more eye contact.

For some reason, Kylo's pace quickened. He rushed into the elevator, jabbing the door close button with his forefinger. When the door finally closed, he let out a sigh.

At the canteen, he ordered a camomile tea instead of his usual coffee. The last thing he needed was to get even more worked up over nothing. While waiting for his drink, he casually unlocked his phone. After staring at the screen for a few moments, he opened Instagram just to kill some time. The first image on his feed was from Club Venus: _Amber Night: Let Your Senses Take Over_ blazed across the screen in cursive yellow-orange letters. Kylo glanced over his shoulder, making sure no one was looking before he clicked on the link in the caption.

_Live performers, DJs, and more! Tickets - $50. No door sales._

“Camomile tea for Kylo,” the barista said cheerfully as she put the paper cup down on the counter.

Kylo grabbed it without a word and headed back to the elevator. He hit the _buy_ button on the ticket sales page before the elevator even arrived. Snoke would surely be there, and the sooner he could deal with Snoke and get Hux out of the way, the sooner this bullshit would be over.

“ _There’s an event at the club on Saturday. Got tickets_ ,” Kylo typed out as he walked back to his office. He pasted the link and hit send, then pocketed his phone again.

He glanced into Hux’s office again as he walked past. Hux was inside, talking on the phone while facing the window, so Kylo kept walking.

After half an hour of going over schematics, Kylo’s phone buzzed.

“ _Okay_ ,” was the reply from Hux.

*

The next day, both Kylo and Hux were scheduled to visit the engine workshop and discuss the new modifications with the manufacturing team.

Hux didn’t so much as look at Kylo in the three hours they spent talking to the team leader. At lunch, Hux sat away from him.

“Hey,” Kylo said, stepping in Hux’s path when they were finally alone in one of the corridors.

“Watch your step,” Hux chided, furrowing his brow. “I nearly walked into you.”

“Are you still down for Saturday?”

“Yes. I already said I was.”

Kylo nodded, relieved. He couldn’t go to the club alone. Whether Kylo liked it or not, Hux was a critical part of this plan.

*

Over the rest of the week, Hux’s icy disposition gradually melted. By Thursday, he started making eye contact again, and on Friday, they had an argument over colour schemes of an instrument readout while Mitaka cowered in his seat between them.

At least things were back to normal.

On Saturday, Kylo decided he needed a new outfit. The club was already warm enough that he got sweaty in his leather pants. If the club was packed, it would mean even more body heat. He needed something comfortable that also looked the part, so he drove to the nearest adult store he could find. If _Strawberries & Cream Adult Superstore_ didn’t have what he needed, then he didn’t know where else to look.

The last time Kylo had been in a sex shop, he had just turned eighteen and wanted to flex his new privileges. Amazon had mostly books back then, not everything under the sun, so if you wanted to buy a sex toy, you had to go to a physical store in person. Most of the toys had been way over his budget, so he bought the cheapest plastic vibrator they had, a box of condoms, and a pack of nipple-shaped mints.

Looking around Strawberries & Cream, things had obviously changed. There were displays of smart sex toys that came with apps and promotional videos of some latest-and-greatest ergonomic vibrators. Walls of porn movie DVDs were gone, replaced by a single bookcase with a few dozen videos. Thankfully, they had what he came for: racks of fetish clothing and accessories.

He browsed through the menswear, then immediately gave up. Nothing there was going to fit a guy of his size, and he wasn’t about to wear assless chaps or a leather thong or stockings. He stalked the aisles, hoping to find _something_ , even if it was just an accessory. Then he saw it: a leather harness on a mannequin, along with cuffs, a collar, and nipple pasties. The other stuff was too much, but the harness could work. He could wear it over one of his tight white T-shirts. 

Kylo walked up close to the mannequin so he could inspect the harness, making sure that it was adjustable enough to fit his chest. By eye, it looked okay; it was on the smallest setting for the plastic mannequin, but it looked like there was enough adjustability to fit him. He looked around until he saw a packaged version of the harness. It was genuine leather, allegedly, so hopefully worth the price. On impulse, he grabbed a set of cuffs as well. He’d go for a casual look: tight black jeans, boots, and bondage gear on top.

Just after he paid for the items, his phone buzzed.

It was a text from Hux. “ _Do you want a lift tonight? I’m not planning to drink_.”

“ _Sure_ ,” Kylo replied. Why the hell not. It would save him the effort of getting a cab or looking for parking.

Kylo killed time the rest of the afternoon by hitting the gym. After a quick bite, he showered and shaved, then put on his new accessories. It took several attempts to get the harness to fit right. He fiddled with the straps to make sure the metal O-ring was right over his sternum. Looking in the mirror, he could see that the T-shirt was tight enough that the harness straps clearly accentuated his pecs. It was probably okay. It’s not like he was an expert on fetishwear.

It was fifteen minutes until Hux was due to pick him up, and Kylo had nothing else to do. He sat on the couch and leaned his head back, closing his eyes. What would he say to Snoke if he saw him at the club? He’d have to play it cool. Snoke might have gotten him this job, but Kylo had no connection to the man; a headhunter had contacted him, saying Snoke was impressed with Kylo’s flying record and his final year aerospace engineering project. Kylo had almost flunked the course, but his engine design had won two awards and landed him some hefty prize money.

He’d just have to wing it. Start a conversation, and go from there.

Kylo’s doorbell rang five minutes before Hux was supposed to arrive. Typical. At least Kylo was ready. He got up, grabbed his leather jacket, and opened the door.

“Hey,” Kylo said, looking Hux up and down. He was wearing the same fucking dress pants and shirt as usual.

Hux’s eyes were glued to Kylo’s chest.

“My face is here,” Kylo said, waving his hand in front of Hux.

Hux immediately went red, which was fucking hilarious. He looked affronted, scandalised at being called out for ogling.

“Are you ready?” Hux asked.

Kylo shrugged. “Does it look like I’m ready?”

“Shut up. Come on, then. My car is blocking a driveway.”

Hux turned around and Kylo stepped out the door, locking it behind him. He followed Hux to his car. It looked pristine, like Hux never even drove it anywhere.

“You like driving this thing?” Kylo asked after getting inside and buckling up.

“Yes,” Hux replied, looking over his shoulder before pulling out. “Why wouldn’t I?”

The car sounded eerily quiet as it accelerated. “It’s electric.”

“It can perform all of the tasks required of it,” Hux said.

“I like something with more oomph. The car team should work on that.”

“Well, if you think you can do better, why don’t you transfer to the road vehicle division?”

Kylo’s lip twitched. He shouldn’t take the bait. Winding Hux up while they were on a mission was a bad idea. “Cars are boring as fuck,” he said instead of retorting with an insult.

“Pity,” Hux muttered under his breath.

The rest of the drive was in silence. Kylo spent the time gazing out the window, looking at nothing in particular. Better than starting a fight.

When they got to the club, there was a line to get in. There was more than one bouncer and someone was scanning tickets.

“It’s going to be packed,” Hux said.

“Yeah, well. Can’t do anything about that.”

They only had to wait ten minutes before they were inside. The first person they saw when they were through the door was Mistress Bliss herself.

“Hey! It’s you guys again!”

Kylo groaned internally.

“Upstairs is open tonight. There’s even some nooks and crannies if you want a little privacy.” She winked, casting her eyes between the two of them.

“Yes, thank you for that. I’m sure we’ll be fine,” Hux said. He hooked his arm around Kylo’s elbow and walked him deep into the crowd. When they were safely out of Mistress Bliss’ range, Hux let go. “Sorry about that,” he said. “I couldn’t bear having to go through one of her lessons again.”

“We finally agree on something.”

“Okay, any signs of Snoke?”

Kylo looked around. It was hard to see. The club wasn’t as packed as Kylo had expected, but it was much more full than last Saturday. The music was thumpy, but not totally intrusive. Kylo tried to ignore the sea of half naked people as he peered over their heads.

“I don’t see him.”

“Shall we get some drinks and then look upstairs?” Hux asked.

“Sounds good to me.”

They headed to the bar and waited what felt like forever until someone finally served them. Kylo ordered a Coke Zero. Hux got a ginger ale, and Kylo had to stifle a laugh.

“I didn’t even know they had an upstairs,” Hux lamented. “Snoke could have been up there the entire time, while we sat downstairs like idiots.”

Near the bar, there was an entranceway to a stairwell. Normally, this door was closed. Maybe upstairs was for private parties. Kylo felt like an imbecile for not thinking of something like this. Why would Snoke, with his deep pockets, loiter downstairs with the masses? The stairwell itself was cramped, wooden, and creaky, like in an old house. Kylo had no idea how old this building was or what its original purpose had been. He imagined it as an old timey clandestine brothel.

At the top of the stairwell, there was another door. They went through it, and were immediately greeted by a totally different ambience. The music was soft and sensual. There were fake candles everywhere and fairy lights hanging from the ceiling. The space looked more like it used to be a ballroom, not a brothel. Heavy ornate curtains hung from various places, breaking up the room. Near one wall, there was a spread of food across several tables. Next to the table, there was a completely naked woman reclined on a long wooden coffee table. She was covered in sushi, giggling every time someone picked up a piece with a pair of chopsticks.

Kylo had expected some hard core stuff to be going on up here, but it was just people playing with feathers while tied up with silk scarves, and things like that.

“There’s a seat over there,” Hux said, pointing to a small loveseat. It would be cramped with just the two of them, but there weren’t any other options.

Almost immediately after they sat down, two women walked up to a metal structure in the center of the room. It took Kylo a moment to realise that one of them was Mistress Bliss wearing some kind of masquerade mask. While Bliss was wearing a dark corset, frilly skirt, and stiletto boots, the other woman was wearing a pale blue flowing sheer dress, reminding Kylo of a woodland nymph. 

Mistress Bliss rummaged through her bag and withdrew some long strips of fabric in various shades of blue. After some words were exchanged between her and the nymph girl, Bliss began to tie the other woman up, binding her hands behind her back. After many lengths of fabric, Bliss threw one end over a support beam and started hoisting the nymph girl up, suspending her from the beam. She continued adding more and more strips until the girl was horizontal, completely suspended by the fabric bindings. It reminded Kylo of some rope bondage photography he saw in a gallery once, except with soft fabric instead of rope.

“That’s impressive,” Hux said.

“Yeah,” Kylo agreed. “It is.”

After a short time, Mistress Bliss began unbinding the woman, performing all of the steps in reverse. When the woman was finally free, Bliss leaned in for a kiss.

“Don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t that,” Kylo commented.

“What do you mean?” Hux asked. “Did you not look at the event description?”

“It just said there would be performers and DJs.”

“You mean-- Oh, hell.”

Kylo turned to Hux, wondering what the fuck he had missed. “What?”

“The theme is sensuality. It’s supposed to be about romance and all that nonsense, and specifically caters to established couples. They won’t even let you in if you’re single. I was honestly surprised you wanted to go.”

“Oh.” Kylo didn’t even think of looking at the fine print. Not for a damn sex dungeon.

“Hey, what did you guys think?”

Kylo looked up, though he already knew who it was.

“That was a very fine performance,” Hux said.

“Thanks! I only got into suspension bondage last year. It’s great fun. Do you guys want to give it a try sometime?”

“No, not now,” Hux said. “We’re fine here.”

Mistress Bliss giggled. “I know you’re both pretty shy, but my little birdies told me you’ve been having a good time over the last couple of weeks.”

Great.

“Oh, don’t be like that,” she teased, raising her eyebrows at Kylo. “I’m not gonna give you another lesson in spanking implements. Since it’s your first time at an Amber Night, I wanted to explain some things.”

She pulled up a free armchair and sat with them.

“Normally, people’s first club nights are Emerald, where there’s a lot of beginner stuff. Amber is in the middle, and next is Ruby. Ruby nights are the more extreme stuff and they’re invite only. We don’t let people attend unless they’ve been to a few Amber nights or if they’ve been personally vetted by a staff member.”

“The stuff tonight seems pretty tame,” Kylo said.

“On the surface, maybe, but there’s a lot of deep D/s going on that you might not notice. But that’s okay! You’ll learn to pick up on it,” she said, winking.

“Sure,” Kylo replied, though he had no ambitions to become a bondage guru.

“Got any plans for tonight?” Bliss asked.

“Not as such,” Hux said.

“Okay, I’ll give you a few pointers, then I promise I’ll leave you alone!”

Kylo wanted to tell her to just spit it out and get it over with, but he held his tongue.

“If you want any tips from performers, you can ask anyone with one of these amber wristbands,” she said, jiggling a cheap plastic bangle around her wrist. “Some of them do private lessons, some just do it for fun. Let’s see, what else… Oh yeah, the buffet! Feel free to grab a plate. Taste is one of our most keen senses. It might seem kinda tame, but I recommend trying hand-feeding! We’ve got chocolate covered fruits, sushi, and other stuff. There’s vegan chocolate, too. Okay! I’ll leave you alone now!” She got to her feet and shuffled away in her impossible shoes.

“Sheesh,” Kylo said, finally relaxing back into the seat. “That woman does not take a hint.”

“Well? Are you hungry?”

“What?”

Hux shrugged. “We can sit here and be bored for the next few hours, or we can entertain ourselves.”

“Sure, whatever.”

“I’ll get a plate,” Hux said, getting to his feet. “Save my seat.”

Hux came back with a plate of fruit and a small bowl of chocolate sauce. There were strawberries, raspberries, grapes, and slices of peach.

“I know you’re more used to rotisserie chickens, but tonight you’ll have to settle for this.”

“Me?” Kylo asked.

“Well, last time, I subbed. Now it’s your turn.”

Unfortunately, Kylo couldn’t fault that logic. Taking turns was fair enough. “Fine. How do you wanna do this?”

“Well, you should be on the floor on your knees, of course,” Hux declared with a gleam in his eyes.

“You’re in charge,” Kylo grumbled as he slid off the couch so he could kneel on the floor. He’d get Hux back next time.

He watched Hux pick up a strawberry and dunk it into the chocolate, then offer it up in front of Kylo’s lips.

This was stupid.

Regardless, Kylo opened his mouth and took a bite out of the strawberry, leaving Hux with the leafy end. The strawberry was juicy and the chocolate sauce was good, too.

Hux deposited the remains on the plate and picked up a slice of peach. “Can you not stare at me while I do this?” Hux asked. “It’s disconcerting.”

Whatever. Kylo closed his eyes, but with his eyes closed, how was he supposed to know when to open his mouth? He was about to protest, when he suddenly smelled the peach under his nose. Experimentally, he stuck out his tongue and immediately tasted it. Leaning in a little, he took the slice between his teeth and then slurped it into his mouth. Patiently, he waited for another piece of fruit.

“Open up,” Hux said.

Kylo opened his mouth. He sensed Hux’s hand in front of his face, but the brush of Hux’s fingers against Kylo’s lips as Hux dropped a grape into his mouth caused his pulse to shoot up. He distracted himself by biting into the grape, tasting the juice as it gushed out.

After the grape, he smelled peach again. He parted his lips as he felt the slice nudge against them. Again, Hux’s fingertip touched his lip just as Kylo leaned in to take the sweet, juicy peach into his mouth.

“Here’s another strawberry,” Hux said. “Don’t make a mess of the chocolate.”

Kylo opened his mouth, waiting. Chocolate against his lips was what he felt first, followed by Hux pushing the rest of the strawberry into his mouth. Kylo bit down near the stem, then licked his lips, cleaning off whatever chocolate might still be there.

“Raspberries.”

Kylo could smell them, but Hux didn’t seem to be offering any up. Briefly, Kylo opened his eyes. In front of him was Hux’s hand, holding a few raspberries in it. If that’s how Hux wanted to do it. Kylo closed his eyes again and leaned forward. His nose bumped into Hux’s hand as he took a raspberry into his mouth. This was awkward; he preferred Hux feeding him directly. Kylo leaned forward again. Without thinking, he stuck his tongue out to help grab a raspberry and inadvertently licked Hux’s hand. Hux twitched, probably recoiling in disgust. It served him right for suggesting this in the first place. He finished off the rest of the raspberries and waited.

“Peach,” Hux said softly.

This time, Hux slowly pushed the peach slice into Kylo’s mouth. Why was Hux feeding him _like this?_ Kylo didn’t have time to figure it out, because after the peach, Hux’s fingertip slipped between Kylo’s lips. Kylo’s heart raced. Hux’s finger had sweet peach nectar all over it, and he was just _holding_ it there, not taking his hand away.

Fuck it.

Kylo closed his lips around Hux’s fingertip and sucked. Hux yanked his hand away, but then it was back with a strawberry. Kylo licked at the chocolate, then wrapped his lips around the strawberry, this time making a mess of the chocolate on purpose. He sucked on it, swallowing the chocolate before finally biting into the fruit.

“The fruit is all gone,” Hux said. His voice sounded a little shaky. “But-- There’s chocolate.”

Kylo could smell the chocolate right under his nose. He opened his eyes again. Hux’s finger was right in front of him, coated in chocolate sauce. He swore at himself even as he took Hux’s finger into his mouth. It was thin and bony, and Kylo wanted nothing more than to suck on it. Hux withdrew the finger, and Kylo found himself following it.

“Wait--”

A moment later, two of Hux’s chocolate-covered fingers pressed into Kylo’s mouth. Kylo took them in, running his tongue all around them and between them until all the chocolate was gone. His appetite was suddenly voracious. He wanted more. He _needed_ more, and Hux kept delivering.

“Ren,” Hux said, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

Kylo opened his eyes and looked up. Hux’s fingers were still in his mouth. Hux’s eyes were wide and his cheeks were pink. Kylo didn’t know what to do. He had his fat lips around Hux’s skinny fingers, and he didn’t know what to do.

“There’s no more, Ren.”

He had to let go.

Slowly, Kylo released the suction around Hux’s fingers and Hux withdrew, running the pads of his fingers along Kylo’s tongue.

The sounds of the club were starting to come back to him. The quiet beat of the music. People around them talking and laughing. Hux’s cool blue eyes were glued on him. He looked afraid, perturbed by what just happened. Kylo couldn’t place his own feelings either. Maybe it was time to leave. He paid fifty bucks for this night -- a hundred if Hux never paid him back -- but this was enough.

“I should go,” Kylo said, moving to get up.

“No,” Hux protested, with panic in his voice. “Please--”

What did Hux want? Did he actually want Kylo to _stay?_

Maybe. Maybe he could stay, but sitting on the floor and staring at Hux was too much. Kylo turned around and leaned back against the sofa. He pulled his knees up and started massaging his temples in an attempt to clear his head. It didn’t help.

Behind him, he could hear Hux scoot closer. What was Hux going to do, give him a back rub?

Hux didn’t give him a back rub. Instead Kylo felt Hux’s fingers gently combing through his hair.

This only complicated things further. Hux was his rival. His enemy, even. But right now, stroking Kylo’s hair -- Hux was making him feel good.


	5. Chapter 5

Amber Night was not to be spoken of. Hux knew it happened. Ren knew it happened. There was simply no need to discuss it further. Their undercover plot needed to carry on, and letting some errant event throw a spanner in the works would be entirely unprofessional.

A knock at the door interrupted Hux’s thoughts. He looked up from his computer to see Ren leaning against the door frame.

“Are we still on for tonight?”

Hux had a new set of candles safely tucked away in his satchel bag. It was his turn this evening. Last time, he had Ren tied up to the St. Andrew’s cross while he whacked him with a riding crop. The time before that, they did hot-and-cold sensation play with Hux blindfolded and bound on the padded table. Though the sensations were interesting, Hux preferred the hot wax alone.

“Yes,” Hux replied.

“Cool. I’m taking off early today,” Kylo said. “Gotta go to the bank.”

“I’m going straight from here tonight,” Hux said. “I’ll meet you at the usual place.”

Hux went back to studying the test report for the new engine with Ren’s modifications. It looked good. This could even be the final iteration. Hux would wait until the end of the week before approving construction of the second engine, just in case he thought of any last-minute changes.

He left the office in a good mood. The plane was progressing on schedule. With luck, they would be doing a test flight in a few weeks. Ren was behaving himself at the airfield. Rose and the other junior engineers were getting more self-sufficient week by week. Rey finished fixing all the bugs in the avionics firmware that Ren had unknowingly discovered during his ill-advised flight.

It was nearing seven o’clock, and the building was almost empty. Hux headed to the parking level, suddenly conscious of his stomach rumbling. He’d have to pick up something on the way.

*

“You’re late,” Ren said, grinning like a smug bastard.

Hux looked at his watch. “It’s two minutes to eight. We normally meet at eight.”

Ren raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

They walked to the club entrance. The bouncer wasn’t there. Ren was about to try the door, then stopped midway.

“They’re closed,” Ren said.

“Closed?” Hux looked closer. There was a sign on the door.

_Club Venus is closed for electrical maintenance. We’ll be back soon!_

What were they going to do now? Hux had been looking forward to the candles.

“What now?” Ren asked.

Going home would be lonely and disappointing. Unless--

“Do you want to come to my place for a drink?” Hux asked, hoping he wasn't about to regret this.

Ren seemed to ponder the question for a moment, then said, “Sure. Why not.”

With that decided, they headed back to Hux's car.

Hux drove casually, trying to tune out Ren's usual critique of electric vehicles. This time, he was going on about how room temperature superconductor technology was going to replace all transportation with maglev anyway, so why bother with optimising single passenger vehicles?

"This is your place?" Ren asked as Hux pulled into his driveway.

"Clearly."

The garage door opened and Hux carefully drove in.

"Leave your shoes here," Hux said before allowing Ren inside. He preferred not to invite guests in through the garage entrance -- not that he could remember the last time he had a guest -- but Ren didn't really count; there was no need to impress him.

"Hmm," Ren hummed, looking around once they were inside. "It's very you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Grey. Lacking in person--"

Just then, Millicent trotted out of Hux's bedroom and into the living room, meowing.

"Oh," Ren said. "You have a cat."

"Yes," Hux said, crouching down to pet her. "This is Millicent." He stood up again. "You two can get acquainted while I fix some drinks. I don't have any Coke. Would you settle for lemon-lime bitters?"

"Sure," said Ren as he knelt down on the floor, beckoning Millie to come to him.

Hux fixed the drinks -- the soft drink for Ren and a gin and tonic for himself, then brought them over to the coffee table.

“Here you are,” Hux said, carefully placing the drinks on coasters.

Ren got up off the floor and came to sit in an armchair.

They sipped their drinks in silence. That was their normal routine: have a drink, usually without saying much, then move on to the play activity of the night, then have another drink without speaking to each other and leave. They could play here. Hux almost laughed out loud while his glass was at his lips. The candles were still in his bag. In his bedroom, he had a few more things: some feathers and slightly abrasive fabrics, a suede flogger, and nipple clamps that he impulse-bought one evening. When all this nonsense was over, he flirted with the idea of finding a partner to try this sort of thing with. At least in theory -- Hux had not attempted to date anyone since before those God-forsaken dating apps came into existence.

“What’s so funny?” Ren asked.

“Funny?” Hux replied, caught off-guard. “Nothing. Nothing is funny.”

“Hux, you’re not as stoic as you think you are.”

Ren was one to talk. The man was physically incapable of concealing even the simplest of emotions or holding back tactless remarks. Well, what the hell. “I bought a few things,” he said.

“Uh, okay. What kind of things?”

“You know.” Hux gestured with his hand. “ _Things_.”

“Like kinky sex shit?”

“Must you be so crude?”

Ren’s eyes widened, then he grinned ear to ear. “You’re really into this stuff.”

“What?” Hux balked. “Not especially.”

“Come on, Hux,” Ren goaded. “People only buy that shit if they’re really into it or if they’re going to some fetish costume party.”

“It sounds like you’re asking for it,” Hux said, narrowing his eyes.

“Maybe I am.”

Hux stood up in a huff and marched into his bedroom. He pulled the plastic box of toys out of his wardrobe and brought it out, unceremoniously dropping it on the coffee table. “Get up, then,” Hux demanded, his hands on his hips. “Put your hands against that wall over there, and I’ll give you something to think about.”

In an instant, Ren was on his feet and across the room, facing the wall and deliberately sticking his ass out. Hux grabbed his suede flogger. He’d only tested it on some cushions; this was going to be its maiden voyage, so to speak.

“You can take your shirt off here, if you want,” Hux said. “It’s just you and me here.”

Ren kept his hands on the wall, but turned his head over his shoulder. “You want it off?”

“Well, the suede is soft. I imagine it should feel nice on bare flesh.”

Ren seemed to think this over for a minute, then said, “Fine. But if you’re gonna be a dick about it, I’m leaving.”

Hux couldn’t imagine why Ren thought Hux would mock him. “I won’t. You have my word.”

Still facing away, Ren moved away from the wall and pulled the shirt off over his head. Next, he unbuttoned his jeans and kicked them off as well, leaving him in nothing but black briefs and calf-high socks. Slowly, Ren turned around. Like Hux had suspected, Ren was pure muscle from top to bottom. Hux couldn’t take his eyes off of him, gazing over every inch of skin he could see. Ren’s chest was littered with scars. Instead of marring his features, the scars somehow added to them, like an abstract art composition.

“Motorbike accident,” Ren said, looking away. “I was young and stupid. So there. That’s where the scars came from. Now you don’t have to ask.”

Had Ren been embarrassed of these the whole time? He had nothing to worry about; he was built like a battle-hardened warrior. Hux licked his lips.

“Turn around and assume the position,” Hux commanded, before he said anything that could give him away.

Ren obeyed. His ass looked even better covered by only a thin piece of fabric instead of leather trousers or tight jeans. Hux swung the flogger a few times in the air, then swung it directly at Ren’s rear end, watching it jiggle ever so slightly.

Ren made a sound between a hum and a groan. Hux struck him again, and he again made the same throaty sound. In the club, Hux never would have been able to hear it over the music, but here, in the peace and quiet of his house, Ren was perfectly audible. Curious about what other sorts of sounds Ren might make, Hux swung the flogger again, targeting different locations. Some swings were solidly aimed at Ren’s ass. Some were figure eights, only brushing Ren’s skin with the tips of the strands. He aimed those between Ren’s shoulder blades and watched his skin slowly turn pink.

While Hux worked up a small sweat, Ren’s breathing grew more laboured and his throaty groans turned into moans. Hux fed off Ren’s intensity, striking harder, striking faster.

“Okay,” Ren said. He dropped his hands, then walked away. After pacing back and forth across the room once, Ren stopped.

“Is everything all right?” Hux asked, furrowing his brow.

“Yeah,” Ren said, then immediately added, “No.”

“Do you want to stop?”

Ren glanced into Hux’s eyes, then looked away. “No.”

“How about something softer, then?”

“Yeah,” Ren answered. “Yeah, let’s do that.”

“Okay. Lie down on the sofa.”

Like Hux, Ren was too tall to completely fit across the length of the sofa, but that was no matter. Hux picked up a feather and moved to kneel beside him.

“Lift your hands over your head and close your eyes.”

Ren did, but his eyes were restless behind his eyelids, his brow was pinched, and his lip quivered. Hux picked up the feather and brought the soft tip to Ren's chest. He started at Ren's sternum and traced it down his centerline, right between rows of hard muscle. The aim was not to tickle Ren, but to relax him, so Hux kept moderate pressure with the feather as he traced around the crevices between Ren's muscles.

"I need something more solid," Ren said.

"I have some textured fabrics," Hux offered, but Ren shook his head. "Wax?" Hux suggested, even though molten wax was obviously liquid.

"No," Ren said. "Your hands. And nails."

Hux placed the feather to the side. Saying that he didn't want to touch Ren would be a lie; Hux had been aching to touch Ren since he had his fingers in Ren's mouth three weeks earlier. He rubbed his palms together, then placed a hand on Ren's chest, right over one of his pectorals. Beneath him, Ren sucked in a breath. Hux added his other hand and began massaging Ren's muscles, running his hands up and down Ren's torso.

Whatever Hux was doing, it was working. Ren breathed heavily, occasionally making quiet throaty moans. Since Ren had asked for nails, Hux dug his nails in -- not too hard -- and dragged them all the way from Ren's collarbones to below his navel.

Ren moaned outright. "Yes," he said. "Do that."

The moan went right to Hux’s cock. It was now undeniable: Hux wanted Ren. He wanted him, and Ren was here, writhing on Hux’s couch while Hux raked his nails over Ren’s chest, his belly, his ribs. On a whim, he pinched Ren’s nipples and twisted.

“Fuck!” Ren exclaimed, his eyes still scrunched closed.

He made no attempt to stop Hux, so Hux did it again. He wanted to do more -- lick, suck, bite -- but he didn’t dare. Instead--

“Would you like to try the clamps?” Hux asked, his voice barely above a whisper.

Ren opened his eyes and looked at Hux quizzically. Hux grabbed the clamps from his box. They were the kind with rubber-coated tips and were connected by a thin chain.

“Yeah,” Ren said, swallowing, then closed his eyes again.

Hux had tried these briefly on himself, but found them too intense. Ren, however, seemed to enjoy pain. “You’ll use that traffic light system, yeah?”

Ren nodded.

Hux fastened the first clamp onto Ren’s left nipple. Ren groaned and Hux had to bite his lip to stop himself from reacting before fastening the other. Ren whined and arched his back off the sofa while Hux looked him over. The chain connecting the clamps looked pretty against Ren’s skin. His chest and belly heaved as he breathed hard.

Hux’s eyes travelled down to Ren’s underwear, which barely concealed a sizable erection. Hux swallowed hard and returned his attention to Ren’s chest. He scratched it. He dug his nails in. He pulled on the chain. All the while, Ren chanted “more, more, more” until Hux lost all willpower and slid one hand down until it was pressed against Ren’s cock, with only a thin layer of cloth separating them. Ren’s breathing grew sharp and laboured, so Hux started to rub, first slow and gentle, then more firmly.

Ren’s mouth was open, panting. Hux tugged on the chain again, and Ren suddenly grunted and moaned. Underneath his right hand, Hux felt Ren’s briefs grow damp.

Oh.

Hux didn’t know what to do now, but he didn’t have to; Ren quickly sat up and pulled the clamps off his nipples. He stared at Hux, his eyes wild and glassy.

“I’m-- I’m sorry,” Ren spilled out.

Before Hux could respond, Ren was off the couch and clumsily stepping into his trousers while mumbling apologies. In moments, he was out the front door, while Hux sat on the floor beside the couch, trying to process what had just happened.

*

After a restless night, Hux got out of bed before his morning alarm. He had to confront Ren. One way or another, this situation had to be resolved.

"Has anyone heard from Ren today?" Hux asked his team, after Ren failed to show up to their weekly team meeting at the airfield.

"He called in sick," said Finn.

Hux narrowed his eyes. "To whom?"

"Uh, on Slack."

Hux never used the team Slack channel. It was ninety-five percent banter and jokes -- a complete waste of time. If someone had something important to say, Hux expected to be emailed. The point remained, however; Ren was certainly avoiding him, and Hux had to do something about that.


	6. Chapter 6

Cocooned by his duvet, Kylo pressed his face into his pillow. The sun was up and the world outside was awake. He should have been at work hours ago, but if he went to work, he’d see Hux, and he absolutely couldn’t see Hux. Not after he so thoroughly humiliated himself.

His phone buzzed. To break the monotony of wallowing in self-pity, Kylo picked it up

It was a message from Hux.

“ _I overstepped last night, and for that I am sorry. We should have negotiated the scene first, and it is my fault for failing to do so. Seeing as Snoke is never at the club, perhaps we should cease our competition. I understand if you wish to distance yourself from me - please don’t feel like you must avoid work. I will stay out of your way as much as is practical._ ”

_No_. No, this wasn’t what Kylo wanted. His heart ached at the thought of never seeing Hux unwind and fully relax again while Kylo dripped hot wax on him, or never again being bent over Hux’s lap while Hux punished him. Last night felt like the cusp of something new, something _good_.

It had been a very long time since Kylo felt something good.

Fuck it. This was his chance, and he wasn’t going to waste it.

Kylo threw his duvet off and headed straight for the shower. He wanted to be as presentable as possible, so he shaved, conditioned his hair, and scrubbed every part of himself thoroughly. Afterwards, he put on his nicest work shirt and dark slacks, and then he was out the door.

“ _Is Hux still with you guys?_ ” Kylo messaged to Rey while he was at a red light.

“ _He just left. Probably to the office. How’s the hangover?_ ”

If there was no traffic, Kylo could be there in half an hour. As soon as he was on the freeway, he hit the gas.

By the time he got to First Order Engineering headquarters, he was frazzled and sweating. What was he supposed to say to Hux? How was Hux even going to react? In the end, Kylo had no plan, so he banged on Hux’s office door and hoped for the best.

“Come in,” Kylo heard from behind the closed door.

Kylo opened the door.

Hux was at his desk. His eyes lit up as soon as they made eye contact with Kylo, as if he was happy to see Kylo and not repulsed by his presence.

"I'm sick of the club," Kylo blurted out. "And I'm sick of fighting with you. You're a pain in the ass." 

Great. This was going great. Hux's expression fell to something melancholy, so Kylo was doing a great job of fucking this up.

"I like what we did yesterday," he said, hoping to salvage what he could. "I want more of it."

Hux seemed to let this sink in. "The club is awfully noisy," he said. "I must admit that I much prefer a private setting."

Kylo ran his fingers through his hair while he tried to compose what to say next. "Do you wanna maybe come over some time?"

Hux looked down at his laptop, took a deep breath, then shut the lid. “Are you busy now?”

Kylo’s heart skipped a beat. He shook his head.

“Then I believe I am done for the day,” Hux said. He stood up, grabbed his leather satchel bag without packing the laptop into it, and walked up to Kylo, who was still standing in the doorway. “Shall we?”

“Yeah,” Kylo said, still in disbelief over what was happening.

They rode the elevator down to the basement parking level.

“I’ll meet you at yours?” Hux checked.

“Yeah. See you there.”

Just as Kylo started the ignition to his car, there was a frantic knock on his passenger side window. It was Hux. Kylo rolled the window down.

“Something went wrong with the charger,” Hux said. He opened the door and got into Kylo’s car, buckling himself in.

“Told you,” Kylo chided, pulling out of the parking space. “Electric cars are shit.”

Kylo smiled to himself while Hux argued for most of the journey. Hux was good like this, all fired up.

They pulled into Kylo’s driveway and got out of the car. Kylo felt Hux’s eyes burning into him while he fumbled with the keys until he finally got the correct one in the lock. He opened the door, stepped inside, held the door open for Hux, then closed it. As soon as the lock clicked shut, they stood still. Hux was facing Kylo. He was close enough that Kylo could smell a hint of his aftershave. Hux looked into his eyes, then at his mouth. Then, in an instant, Hux closed the gap between them and mashed his mouth into Kylo’s. 

Hux’s lips were plush and soft, with hints of sharp teeth behind them. He nipped Kylo’s lip as he pushed him against the wall.

“Let me rip your clothes off, will you?” Hux growled against Kylo’s lips.

Kylo nodded, fighting the panicked need to keep himself covered up, because he desperately wanted Hux to tear his clothes off and make him feel like he wasn’t hideous.

Hux got to work immediately, deftly undoing Kylo’s shirt button by button, then leaning in to kiss and suck just above Kylo’s collar bone. It was enough to overwhelm him; all he could do was grasp onto Hux’s waist while Hux devoured him.

“Where’s your bedroom?” Hux asked, almost whispering in Kylo’s ear.

Kylo led Hux by the waist until they both stumbled through his bedroom door, clumsily kissing and tonguing each other until they collapsed sideways onto Kylo’s unmade bed. One of Kylo’s arms was trapped in his shirt sleeve, but the other was free, so he tugged Hux’s shirt buttons open. Bit by bit, they freed each other from their clothes and shoes, until they were in nothing but their underwear. 

“I’ve been thinking about _this_ since last night,” Hux said, running his hand along the length of Kylo’s almost fully hard cock.

“Yeah?”

“I want to suck it and then I want to fuck it. Are you amenable to that, Kylo Ren?”

“Please,” Kylo said, almost gasping.

“Good,” Hux said, squeezing Kylo’s cock through his briefs. “Do you have anything?”

“Lube, but no condoms.” Kylo had stopped carrying them years ago.

“That’s not what I meant, but good to know,” Hux said. “I want something to strap you to this lovely bedframe of yours.”

Kylo swallowed. Unlike Hux, he didn’t go shopping for sex toys on the odd chance he’d find himself with a partner. “Maybe some rope in the garage.”

Hux shook his head, then glanced around the room. His eyes widened when he spotted something on the floor -- their belts. He grabbed them both then pushed Kylo to lie back in the center of his bed. Hux straddled him and leaned over to fasten one of Kylo’s wrists to a bedpost. His soft middle was right in front of Kylo’s face. Kylo wanted to nuzzle it, but Hux had most of his weight on Kylo’s chest. Hux secured Kylo’s other wrist, then scooted back until they were groin to groin. Hux rolled his hips once, brushing their clothed cocks against each other, then shuffled down further, hooked his fingers around Kylo’s waistband, and pulled down.

“This is quite the specimen,” Hux said, as if he was admiring a particularly elegant engine. He licked his lips, then descended, taking the head of Kylo’s cock into his mouth.

Kylo clenched his fists and threw his head back. No one had sucked his cock since-- Since when? He had a hazy memory of a drunken college party almost ten years ago. What Hux was doing now would be burned into his mind forever. Hux’s wet tongue licking long stripes up Kylo’s cock was like heaven on Earth. Kylo relaxed in his bonds, giving up all control to Hux.

“Where’s that lubricant?”

“Top drawer on the left,” Kylo said.

Hux crawled up the bed and grabbed the lube. Kylo watched as Hux shuffled back down, then casually stripped off his underwear. Hux’s cock, long and pink, stood out from a thatch of bright ginger pubic hair. Kylo tugged on his restraints, wanting nothing more than to touch and caress it.

“Patience,” Hux warned. He squeezed a large dollop of lube into his hand, then rubbed his hands together, spreading the lube around. With one hand, he reached behind himself. He wrapped his other hand around Kylo’s cock, giving it a series of steady, full-length strokes.

Between Hux obviously fingering himself and what he was doing to Kylo’s cock, Kylo didn’t know how much more of this he could take before bursting. But Hux said, “Patience,” so Kylo obeyed and waited and stopped himself from bucking into Hux’s hand.

“I have condoms in my bag,” said Hux, “but I’ll admit that I’ve not been active for some time, not since I’ve last been tested. How about you?”

Hux was asking if he was clean. He could say he wasn’t sure, but he desperately wanted to feel Hux’s skin on his, so he told the truth: “I haven’t done this before.”

Hux blinked. Kylo braced himself for some cruel, scathing comment, but Hux just said, “Well, we’ll take care of that, won’t we?” Then he climbed on top of Kylo, lined himself up, and started lowering himself onto Kylo’s rock-hard cock.

Kylo gasped as he felt his cockhead push past an incredibly tight constriction and into pure heat and pleasure. Gradually, Hux worked himself down, gently raising and lowering himself in short thrusts until he was fully seated. Kylo wanted to grab Hux’s hips and fuck into him, but all he could do was whimper in frustration as his bonds held him back.

“Oh,” Hux moaned, throwing his head back. After several heavy breaths, Hux sat up straighter and started moving up and down. “Has anyone ever told you how gorgeous you are?” Hux asked.

Not in a million years. Kylo shook his head.

“You’re built like a god,” Hux said, lengthening his strokes. “Or an ancient warrior. Gorgeous and powerful, from head to toe.”

Tears pooled in Kylo’s eyes. No one in his whole life had ever called him gorgeous. Hux hated him -- or at least _had_ hated him, until very recently -- and here he was, telling Kylo that he was _gorgeous_.

“I’m-- I need it hard,” Hux said. “If you’ll oblige.”

Oh, Kylo could oblige. He thrusted up into Hux, taking a few strokes to get the hang of the rhythm. Soon, Hux was moaning and crying out with each thrust, totally unlike his impeccably controlled facade. This was Hux in his raw form, and he was edging Kylo closer and closer to his impending orgasm.

“I’m gonna--” Kylo tried to warn.

Hux responded by grabbing his hard cock and jerking it hard and fast. “Go on,” Hux said.

Seeing Hux with his hand around his cock made something short circuit in Kylo’s brain, and he started fucking into Hux like a madman, grunting and barreling his way to coming harder than he ever had in his entire life. He pumped wave after wave of come deep into Hux’s ass as he cried out, shouting Hux’s name amongst a long trail of swearing.

Hux followed immediately after, splurting come all over Kylo’s chest and belly, then doubled over, collapsing onto Kylo. They were both catching their breath as Kylo’s spent cock slipped out of Hux. Hux reached out and tugged the belts loose, and Kylo’s arms were suddenly free. He wasn’t sure what to do next. Maybe he didn’t need to overthink this; Hux seemed content lying on him, so Kylo did what his heart desired: wrapping his arms around Hux and nuzzling his nose into Hux’s hair.

After a while of breathing in Hux’s scent -- a mix of light sweat and hair product -- Kylo asked, “What happens next?”

The answer could hurt him. If Hux had gotten what he came for, maybe this was it, and after they parted ways today, things would go back to how they used to be. Gripped by a pang of regret, Kylo tightened his hold around Hux.

“By my count, I’ve topped three times in a row now, so for the next two sessions, it’s your turn.”

Kylo smiled. Relieved, he closed his eyes and hugged Hux closer.

“There are things I’ve researched that I want to try,” Hux added, “so be prepared to do some homework.”

“I can do that,” Kylo said, still smiling.

“And I’d like to do it at my home, not the club.”

“Fine by me.”

They lay in silence for a while. Kylo holding Hux close, and Hux playing with a few strands of Kylo’s hair.

Kylo’s stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten anything all day, and it was catching up with him. “Wanna go get dinner?” he asked.

“Are you asking me to go on a date with you?”

Well. That wasn’t what he was thinking when he asked, but the soaring in his heart told him that yes, he wanted to go on a date with Hux. “Yeah,” he said.

“All right, but first, I’m going to clean you up. You’re filthy.”

“So are you.”

“Well, then I propose we bathe each other. I hope your bath is big enough.”

“It is.”

“Good.”


	7. Epilogue

Finn sat down with his lunch tray. A few tables over, Kylo Ren and Armitage Hux were sitting together, smiling and laughing about something on Hux’s phone.

“Things have been pretty quiet with them lately,” he said, nodding towards their team leaders. “No fights, no yelling.”

“Looks like that thing worked,” Rey said, winking at Rose.

“What thing?” Finn asked.

“Romance blossoming in a dingy kinky sex dungeon,” Rose said dramatically, gesticulating with her hands.

“Wait, that place where Snoke goes?” Finn asked. A disturbing image of First Order Engineering’s elderly CEO wearing leather lingerie and carrying a whip flashed in his mind.

Rose snorted. “Are you kidding? I made that up.”

“I _do_ know someone there,” Rey piped in. “Poe’s friend Zorii runs the place. She’s been giving us the inside gossip.”

Finn’s eyes widened. “So they really... You know.”

Rey and Rose both nodded, grinning.

“They stopped going to the club a couple of weeks ago,” Rey said. “But it looks like they just took it home.”

“Oh, man, that’s way too much info.” With that, Finn got up. He was done with lunch anyway, and the last thing he needed was picturing those two together doing-- Well, whatever they were up to, Finn did _not_ want to know.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find us on twitter: [asstromechdroid](https://twitter.com/asstromechdroid) and [thegoldyloins](https://twitter.com/thegoldyloins)


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